Elizabeth and Alex spent the night last evening. Elizabeth had her first art class and it sounds like it went well to me. One of the things I like about when Elizabeth visits like that is that I tend to get up and have coffee with her. This means good conversation first thing in the morning if she is amenable. Also I don’t have to face exercising and stretching right away upon arising.

I picked up a couple books on hold at the library today. Fanny Hensel: The Other Mendelssohn (2010) by R. Larry Todd is probably a book I am going to want to own. Hensel (as Todd refers to her to distinguish her from her brother whom he calls Mendelsohn) has continued to intrigue me. I only own the Dover edition of her piano music which is all Lieds for the piano. I want to get more music by her but Eileen and I have decided I should hold back on purchases for awhile so I’m not very quick to buy things as I was.

A quick glance at her page on IMSLP reveals quite a few titles that are available there so I’m not that limited.

In Todd’s introduction to his book, he mentions an essay by Virginia Woolf that interests me. It’s called Three Guineas (link to the 132 page pdf of it). It was written after Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own. He observes that Hensel is an example of what Woolf called “women who were denied their own creative space—of how in effect, history erased their voices, their identities.” Todd also says that Hensel is now “widely regarded as the most significant female composer of the nineteen century.” Cool. She definitely has chops, both as a composer and virtuosic pianist.

The Supreme Court Loses Its Chief Pragmatist – The Atlantic

Jeffery Rosen, the author of the above article, continues to provoke my amazement and admiration. His organization, National Constitution Center, which is funded by Congress, continues to be a platform for excellent conversations from scholars and others. Rosen’s moderation of conflicting understandings of his guests is a wonder to behold.

Another snowy day in western Michigan. It is beautiful. My beloved milkweed plants continue to persist despite all the snow we have been having. They are in bad shape to be sure but they are still poking out of the snow. The birds and the squirrels have been fluttering around the bird feeder that we replenish from time to time. I actually did a little snow shoveling today to prepare for Elizabeth and Alex to arrive as well as the Shipt person.

Elizabeth is teaching her first art class today. She seems pretty into it. Alex is okay with hanging around at our house while she does so. They haven’t decided if they are spending the night or driving back to Delton this evening. I know both Elizabeth and Alex would probably prefer to be at their own home this evening but we’ll see what happens. I have cleared the bed in my study where I am sitting so that they can sleep in here tonight if they wish.

I continue to play and study Schubert’s Bb Piano sonata. I added some Bartok today. I have been pondering what music I am going to write. So far, still looking out the window.